Buccaneers

This is getting expensive; there are a lot of books which arent very long. However, I do love the series. Its gotten a tiny, tiny bit more adult, but still a kid-safe PG and still entirely consistent with Golden Age scifi written for adults but clean enough for older kids. The action and pacing are still stellar, and the characters well-drawn. The good guys are still very white hat and the bad guys very black hat (but believably so; no cartoon villains-for-villainrys-sake here), and the supporting cast come in many shades of gray. (Perhaps not fifty shades of gray, but believable.)

I really like how the series has expanded to cover many characters who are intertwined into one larger tale. Much as I love the core characters, this many pages about only them would have lost my interest by now, especially given that these are largely single-plot line stories. The author has also gotten a tiny bit harder science in this book. Its still necessarily hand-wavey – after all, we dont really have any hard science for faster than light travel, or indeed, any form of travel that would make practical space travel between systems. But its still nice to see the author thinking about the science (broadly so) of FTL travel. And while I personally have a big problem with space travel being so easy and maintenance free, that concept allows a very effective, intimate space opera not at all practical using ships with crews measured in scores if not in hundreds. McDevitt uses much the same conventions and assumptions, no doubt for much the same reasons.

Two areas where the author has obviously put in some hard thought to good effect are, as always, robotics and AI/IT. Those areas could be considered hard scifi, I believe. And of course, septic systems. lol

As always, McFarlanes book evoke a throwback to simpler days when the concept that people can be virtually all good or all bad was not at all controversial. And as always, highly recommended.

For those that have read my novel, know that I am all about the pirates. In the continuing story of Liam Hoffen and his band of Loose Nuts our heroes come face to face with a new threat. With the threat of pirates resolved in the Sol system, Liam is looking for a new challenge. He finds himself joining his mother and father in the Tipperary System. While they start a new mining colony, Loose Nuts plans to haul ore for fun and profit. Trouble starts right away as self styled buccaneers try to push Liam and his friends to turn over their hard earned credits for ‘protection’. A costly mistake on their part. Corrupt governments and even more corrupt corporate lackeys lead the crew of the Hotspur on an adrenaline filled adventure.
A thrilling new adventure for our favorite privateers. Jamie delivers everything we have come to expect from him: well developed characters, engaging plot, and non-stop action. A fun read for all sci-fi fans.

I had a long review ready but lost it, so am just going to hit the key points. This is character driven sci-fi and is best read if you have the previous books under your belt. Jamie’s writing has evolved over the years and each book keeps getting better. Buccaneers is the most complete book out of the ones I’ve read (I’m on book 10 and read the ancillary novellas). It isn’t a good standalone novel, but it hits all the right marks. The universe and tech is interesting, and by now the main characters feel like old friends that I enjoy hanging out with noshing on chocolate cupcakes and coffee while traversing the deep dark. Recommend for just about anyone who enjoys adventurous space tales. While there is violence and death, it is family friendly for the most part.

~ Kort

This review covers “Buccaneers”, “Smuggler’s Dilemma” and “Parley”. Why? Somehow these three books got published in the series without me realizing it. When I discovered Parley had been released I immediately got it and finished it quickly only to discover the other two were out there waiting. So I picked them both up and read the three back-to-back.
I find the series very entertaining. Liam is maturing and his relationship with Tabby developing. The whole crew Nick, Marny, Jack, Tali, Celina and the folks just play off of each other so well. The adventures are real and this is a crew you just grow to like.
Keep them coming. I am having a great time.

Privateers is a good read with well-developed characters and an entertaining story line. It is the first series that I have read in a very long time that had well developed foundational science on which the rest of the story framework is based. The use of AI, smart fabric, and Internet of things, was very well integrated into the story and extended into the future. The only nits I have to pick with the series are the improbable interrelationships between some of the characters, the illogical expansion from the Milky Way to the Dwingeloo galaxy, which is 10 million light-year away from Earth. There are many other choices much closer, such as Andromeda, at 2.5 million. Additionally, it is unlikely that the 100 to 400 billion stars within the Milky Way could have been explored. One last nick pick, was the reference to the Marny Bertrand, a former Marine, who is referred to as a Master Chief, which is a Navy rank. The correct rank for a Marine E9 would be Master Gunnery Sergeant, or Gunny.

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